Vegetarian Gravy

While I love classic gravy, everyone in the Delish Test Kitchen agrees: we’d stack this vegetarian gravy up against any traditional recipe. Serve this mushroom-packed version at your Thanksgiving dinner, and watch your guests be blown away at just how formidable this umami-filled recipe is. It comes together in less than 20 minutes, making it an easy addition to your holiday table (or to any cozy dinner). Whether you’re serving a vegetarian Thanksgiving this year or simply don’t feel like roasting a whole turkey to get this holiday side, this vegetarian mushroom gravy will be a welcome addition to your dinner table. Here’s everything you need to know:

What People Are Saying:
“This was simply amazing, made it on Christmas and everyone loved it!” - BlueTooth

“I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Thank you!” - GoldSushi

How To Make Vegetarian Gravy

INGREDIENTS

• Onion & Mushrooms: While traditional gravy usually is a mixture of meat drippings, flour, and broth, in this recipe, you’ll basically make vegetable drippings by sautéing hearty, earthy mushrooms and sweet-yet-spicy white onion in olive oil. I love using cremini mushrooms in this gravy, but shiitakes would also work great in this recipe. Really, you can use any mushrooms you like—just keep an eye on them while cooking since other varieties might take longer to soften up.
• Herbs: This recipe calls for fresh sage, but you can absolutely substitute it for dried sage. Since dried herbs are much more potent than fresh, I’d recommend using about 1/4 teaspoon of the dried sage.
• Flour: After cooking down your mushrooms and onion, you’ll whisk in flour to create a roux.
• Vegetable Stock: Vegetable broth will thin out the gravy so it isn’t overly thick. I strongly suggest going low-sodium, so you can control how salty it is.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, you’re going to heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add your finely chopped onion, then sauté until soft, around 6 minutes. Then you can add in the mushrooms and fresh herbs, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture down until soft, around 5 minutes more. Add the flour to create a roux, cooking for around 1 minute more. With the veggies in the pan, it’ll be chunkier than when you’ve made roux with just butter or drippings, but no stress! The vegetable stock will help thin things up.

Add in the vegetable stock, and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer, and cook for around 5-10 minutes. You’re looking for the mixture to thicken slightly—the flavors will have melded together well by then. If the mixture seems too thick, add more vegetable stock—a bit at a time—to thin it up.

Give the gravy a taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed before serving warm.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Thicken your gravy. If your gravy isn't the texture you're looking for, add some cornstarch! Stir a couple teaspoons of cornstarch into a small bowl of cold water until a thick paste forms. Slowly whisk into your gravy a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can also add slightly less vegetable broth for a thicker mixture.

Storage

If you somehow manage to not pour all of your gravy on your mashed potatoes (or if you made this side ahead of time), you can store your gravy in the refrigerator for up to five days. Simply place it in an airtight container, and reheat just before serving.